Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are in a swivet over a bill that calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to voluntarily collect data on the "sexual orientation and gender identity" of participants in HHS programs.

It's sponsored by the only openly lesbian member of Congress, Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin, who says the federal government needs the information to better understand the health needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals and address any health disparities they might experience.

The bill stipulates that all information would be provided on a voluntary basis and none of the data would be used "in any manner that adversely affects the individual."

During a Health Subcommittee markup of the bill, the committee's top Republican, Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, called the legislation "grossly intrusive" and said it would require children at school-based health centers to answer questions they'd be unlikely to understand.

Baldwin accused Barton of "disseminating inaccurate information about the bill in order to stoke the flames of fear and bigotry." Her office said the bill would not require participants, especially children, to divulge their sexual orientation or gender identity.

"Public health experts at HHS are directed to use their best judgement in determining which surveys or programs to amend," said a statement from Baldwin's office.

A press release from Barton's office noted the subcommittee approved the bill by a partisan 12-10 ratio, with all Democrats who were present supporting the bill and all Republicans opposing it. Republicans noted that many of the subcommittee's 23 Democratic members were absent. There are 15 Republicans on the subcommittee.

The release claimed that Dover Democratic Rep. Zack Space even "rose from his seat and departed the hearing room in haste when the bill was called up for consideration."

Space's chief of staff, Stuart Chapman, denied his boss laced up his running shoes to avoid the vote. He said Space "had to be in three places at once" when the subcommittee vote was scheduled.

"He met with constituents representing the Ohio Township Association and then ran upstairs to a Telecom hearing on the Universal Service Fund before sprinting over to the House floor to vote on a bill chasing down tax evaders," said Chapman. "Maybe Congressman Space should have been a track star in college instead of a Division III All-American football player."

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